Breathe

The world has no air. If you want to survive, you pay to breathe. But what if you can't? And what if you think everything could be different? Three teens will leave everything they know behind in Sarah Crossan's gripping and original dystopian teen novel of danger, longing, and glimmering hope that will appeal to fans of Patrick Ness and Veronica Roth.

National Book Award Finalist Kathleen Duey called Breathe "An amazing story! Sit down. Inhale. Now, while you still can." Ever since the Switch, when the oxygen levels plummeted and most of humanity died, the survivors have been protected in glass domes full of manufactured air. Protected . . . or trapped? Or controlled? Alina's a revolutionary who believes we can save the environment. Quinn's a Premium who's never had to worry about having enough air. His best friend, Bea, is an Auxiliary who's never worried about anything but having enough air. When the three cross paths, they will change everything. Sarah Crossan's thrilling and provocative novel is about passion, about yearning for something better, and about breaking free for the very first time. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books proclaims it an "action-packed dystopian series opener to watch out for."

One fights for the Resistance. One is a privileged elite. One is just trying to survive. Their choice to leave the dome will ignite a rebellion.

• A Post-Apocalyptic World: Where breathable air is a commodity sold by a powerful corporation, and the only survivors of a global catastrophe live trapped inside a glass dome.
• Social Hierarchy: Follows three teens from different classes—Alina the revolutionary, Quinn the Premium, and Bea the Auxiliary—as their worlds collide.
• A Brewing Rebellion: When a desperate mission into the dangerous Outlands goes wrong, a trio of unlikely allies must fight for freedom, not just for themselves, but for all of humanity.
• A High-Stakes Love Triangle: Quinn is a privileged Premium, and Bea is his best friend who secretly loves him. But when they meet Alina, a fierce member of the Resistance, loyalties are tested and hearts are on the line.
• YA Dystopian Series: Perfect for fans of Veronica Roth and Patrick Ness, this is the action-packed first book in a series that explores what it means to break free and truly live.

Inhale. Exhale.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe . . .
The world is dead.
The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen–rich air.

Alina
has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful.

Quinn
should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.

Bea
wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl.

And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?

“An amazing story! Sit down. Inhale. Now, while you still can.” - Kathleen Duey, author of National Book Award finalist Skin Hunger

“This joins the ranks of Roth’s Divergent and Wells’ Partials as a provocative, character-driven, and action-packed dystopian series opener to watch out for.” - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Short cliff-hanger chapters alternate between the three teens’ points of view and build to an ending that will leave fans breathless for the next one.” - ALA Booklist

“Sci-fi fans with an environmental bent will find this book particularly engaging.” - Horn Book Magazine